During the recent Christmas season I made extra effort to communicate what it means to become a Christian. In the next few weeks I would like to preach on the Biblical concepts of Discipleship and Church Membership.

If you haven't realized it before there are demands made of the disciples of Jesus Christ. You see, if there is true faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and LORD, then certain attitudes and actions are expected and required of us.

Stephen Olford wrote a book a number of years ago entitled Committed to Christ and His Church. This morning I'' like to use some of his ideas and couple them with a quick survey of the New Testament teaching on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. We'll look at Jesus' own teachings about what it means to be His disciple.

The term "disciple" has as its basic meaning to be a "learner" or "pupil" which implies there is a Master or Teacher from which the student learns. In the ancient world, the word "disciple" referred to an adherent of a religion or the follower of a particular teacher. In those times it was the task, or job, of the disciple to learn, study, and pass along the teachings of his master.

We still do this today, in the skilled professions. We have apprentice, journeyman and master levels for such trades as carpenters, plumbers and electricians but we have forgotten the concept when it comes to being disciples of Jesus Christ.

In Luke 6:40 we have recorded the words of Jesus, "A student is not above his teacher but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." This verse speaks of the relationship of a disciple with the master or teacher.

The Bible always describes our relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ in terms of faith. In the New Testament "faith" is used with the primary meaning "trust" or "confidence" in God. Faith is the trusting commitment we place in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from the penalty of death for our sins.

Faith is also the living out of our beliefs—it is Christianity in action. The concept of faith is primarily that of a personal relationship with God which then determines the priorities of our lives. Our English word "faith" came to mean loyalty and faithfulness to a person to whom we are bound by promise or duty such as in marriage. So, faith is fidelity.

The Demand of a disciple of Jesus is a relationship of faith, trust, dependence and allegiance to Him as Teacher, Master, Savior and Lord. Once that relationship is established, Jesus says in John 13:35 that there is a certain Recognition of His Disciples.

How do we recognize the disciples of Jesus? In John13:35 Jesus says, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." The kind of love He is talking about is unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the well-being of another person. What Jesus is commanding is not an emotion but our decision and commitment to seek what is best for others.

In the 1800's Rev. Joe Roberts arrived by stagecoach in Wyoming to minister to the Indians there. Soon after he arrived, the son of the Indian chief was shot by a soldier during a brawl. This chief vowed to kill the first white man he saw which of course would lead to a long and bloody feud.

Rev. Roberts decided to take action. He rode 15 miles into the mountains through winter snows to find the chief's teepee. When the chief came out, Roberts said, "The other white men have families but I am alone. Kill me instead of them."

Amazed, the chief asked, "How do you have so much courage?" And Joe Roberts told him about Jesus Christ's teachings. When Joe left, the chief of the Shoshones had renounced his vow to kill a white man and resolved to become a Christian because he had seen love for others, in action.

If we call ourselves "Christian," the next step is to decide what we can do to make love visible in our homes and churches. When there is a proper relationship of faith with Jesus Christ, His disciples will be recognized by the love, they show for each other and the world around them.

Now, the result in the life of a disciple is that faith and love are expressed in faithful service. Jesus said in John 15:8 "This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples." The word fruit in the scriptures means something more like "harvest," and often indicates a thought very close to our word "results."

The fruit of the Holy Spirit, listed in Galatians 5:22-23, is the result of the Spirit's workings in the lives of believers. We might speak of these results as manifestations or expressions. The result of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is expressed by these qualities manifested in our lives.

Galatians 5:22 and 23 says "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." When chemists analyze wine, there are nine different ingredients which make up "fruit of the vine." The interesting thing is that good wine cannot be made with just a few grapes. It can be produced only from full clusters of grapes because not all ingredients are found in each grape. The fruit of the Holy Spirit which produces the wine of discipleship must include all nine ingredients—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

When we add up all of these qualities they amount to Service. The fruitfulness Jesus is talking about is not just inward qualities but it is outward Service. When we possess these inward qualities of the Spirit of God they will be evidenced, exercised and expressed outwardly in service to those in the church and those outside the church.

So, the relationship of a disciple is expressed as faith in Jesus. We recognize disciples by their love for others. And, the result of being a disciple is fruitfulness, shown in service to others.

Now what about the responsibilities of a disciple? John 8:31 gives Jesus' own teaching on the responsibilities of His disciples. John 8:31 "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples." The King James translation is a little clearer, "If you continue in my word then are you my disciples, indeed."

Once someone was talking to a great scholar about a younger man–So and so, tells me that he was one of your students. The teacher answered, "He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my students." You see, there is a world of difference between attending lectures, and being a student. There is a great difference between attending church and being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Every disciple of Jesus has the responsibility of being a real student of the Scriptures. We need to be reading, studying, learning, and memorizing God's Word. What distinguishes a nominal believer (one who only mentally assents to the facts) what distinguishes a nominal believer from a real disciple is how much time and energy they spend in the Word of God studying how to be Jesus' disciple.

We must do more than just know the facts which are in the Bible. We must also Obey what we know. Obedience is to hear God's Word and behave accordingly. That is why the NIV says in John 8:31, "If you hold to my teachings"–if you hear and obey what I say, then and only then are you My disciple.

So to really hear God's Word is to obey God's Word. True disciples do the will of God. Jesus said "Not everyone who says to me ''Lord, Lord,'' will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father" (Matthew 7:21). We believe God has spoken through the Scriptures so, if we say we are His disciples then we must obey His Word.

The relationship of a disciple is expressed as faith in Jesus. We recognize disciples by their love for others. The results of being a disciple is fruitfulness in service to God and others. The responsibilities of a disciple are to know and obey God''s Word.

But there is also the requirement of a disciple. In Luke 14:27 Jesus says, "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me, cannot be my disciple." There is the requirement, and there is a definite cost, to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He expects lifelong allegiance and He requires total dedication until death.

Kamikaze is the Japanese word for "divine wind." In the Second World War, the Japanese organized a suicide force of Kamikaze pilots. These pilots slammed their bomb-laden planes–and themselves–into American ships in the Pacific. Twelve hundred pilots killed themselves taking out 34 U.S. ships during the war. Today we need "Christian Kamikazes" who will take the faith anywhere the "divine wind" blows regardless of the cost.

The symbolic meaning of Jesus' call to take up our crosses and follow Him is a call to complete surrender to God. He used it five times as the symbol of true Discipleship. Jesus'' followers would have understood His metaphor, completely. Every person they had ever seen take up a cross carried that cross to the place of their execution–they carried it to their death. It was a one-way journey–no turning back. Jesus says we cannot be His Disciples unless and until we are willing to serve Him completely for all the rest of our lives.

When an immigrant comes to America, before he or she can become a citizen, they must renounce all their commitments and allegiance to their former homeland and pledge 100 percent allegiance to the United States. Then, and only then, will the U.S. Government grant them citizenship. That's the way it is with Jesus.

What does it mean practically to take up our crosses and follow Jesus? It means no rivals for Christ''s love in our lives. We must give our love, loyalty, submission and obedience to the Kingdom of God. Anything less than that is treason. To do anything other than what He wants, shows that I have a rival in my life–it shows that I am a traitor to Him. About 35 years ago, I enlisted in the Sea Bees. Once I have done that, any disobedience to any rule or command was actually treason against my country. I had decided and swore to obey.

Taking up our cross also means that there will be no refusals. We will determine to try to always obey His every command and never refuse any request. And taking up our cross certainly means that there is no retreat–no turning back, once we have begun. This is a one way trip!

Dietrick Bonhoffer, who spent much time in Nazi prisons for preaching the Gospel of Christ, said "When Christ calls us to follow Him, He calls us do die."

After graduation from high school, young William Borden, heir to the Borden Milk fortunes, was sent on a cruise around the world. He became brokenhearted by the spiritual needs of the people he met. So he committed his life to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as a missionary. He wrote in his journal "Say ''no'' to self, ''yes'' to Jesus, every time." He headed for China but contracted spinal meningitis and died less than a month later. Three phrases were found written inside the cover of his Bible: No reserves, No retreats, No regrets. That is what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ.

In James 2:14 we have this question put to us, "if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds can such faith save him?" And the implied answer is "No" it cannot! The demands of discipleship are that "faith works," it does deeds, consistent with its belief.

We were reminded in our responsive reading that even the demons of Hell believe there is only one true God. But, they do not obey Him therefore they are not saved. Neither are we saved if we claim faith but do not learn of, follow and obey the Master. Jesus said bluntly in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, ''Lord, Lord,'' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father." You see, the old hymn is correct: We must not only trust God and Jesus Christ but we must obey.